The Violet Kind
by SubtleLux
Summary: Violet is drawn into a game with the rest of P4, involving Edgars' estranged female cousin, who is a new servant at the school. I do not own Black Butler or it's works in any way, no disrespect is meant. Any OC characters are solely my creation.
1. Chapter 1

"I have a cousin." The words left Edgars' mouth with distaste, as if he had bitten into something that had gone rotten. Gregory didn't even look up from his sketch pad. He would wait till the other prefect had finished talking, as he knew this topic was not over. "A cousin? You mean you have a cousin that is coming to the school?" Herman asked him, he even stopped swinging the cricket bat that seemed to be glued to his hand as he regarded the blonde boy.

Edgar frowned and shook his head and brushed the hair away from his elegant face, his expression was one of polite suffering. "Sadly, that is not the case. I have been informed that she is already here." Gregory did look up at that just to make sure what he had heard the other boy correctly. There were of course no females allowed to attend the school. The others seemed to have caught on too as they were suddenly more curious, even Bluer looked away from his book for a moment to regard Edgar over the rim of his glasses.

"Yes, she is just a servant here. And she is not really considered part of the family; my Uncle was disowned when he married the girls' mother against the wishes of my family. The only thing I have in common with her is our last name." He still had the look of slight distaste on his face as he spoke; Gregory assumed it was because any blight on the families' reputation was considered unsavory. Still, it had nothing to do with him and he continued to draw on his sketchpad. Edgar did not need Gregory to make eye contact for him to continue to speak.

Even though his head was down concentrating on the paper he knew that the others' interests were piqued. Any change at school could be a welcome or disastrous one depending on what it was. On the all-male campus many of them would find a new female presence exciting, but this girl had the added benefit of being a disowned Redmond. She was already an oddity with an interesting past. "But why has she come here then? Shouldn't her father be taking care of her," Herman asked with a raised eyebrow. Edgar gave a slight shake of his head. "He would be taking care of her but apparently he died sometime last month of an illness, he was some kind of merchant after the family disowned him and I don't believe that he had any inheritance to leave her. Her mother is dead too apparently, died when the girl was very young." Edgar said all this with a dismissive wave of his hand. Gregory surmised that Edgar and his Uncle had not been close.

Greenhills' face grew slightly red at the information. "Forgive me Edgar; I did not know that your Uncle had passed." Edgar waved his hand again and gave Herman a smile. "Think nothing of it; I had never even met the man to be honest. And if he was disowned from the family, it's almost like he's not part of the family at all, isn't that right?" None of the boys said anything in agreement, but there silence was awkward and surprisingly Gregory decided to break it. "Then if you do not consider him your Uncle, why do you acknowledge his daughter as your cousin?" Edgar gave him a curious look. It was not often that Gregory would say anything, he was a man of few words and what he would say would always be to the point.

Edgar laughed then, it was a light and airy sound, as beautiful as the boy himself. "I suppose I call her my cousin because I pity her. The poor girl already has so much against her, being linked to me by blood and having me recognize that fact might be a boon in her favor." He sat back suddenly and looked thoughtful before a slow smile formed on his face. "Perhaps I shall do just that, take her under my wing as they say, it could do the girl some good. Besides I want to see what she's like, she might be a welcome distraction." The others only murmured but Gregory could sense that they were at least slightly intrigued. It would be something amusing, even for a short while. The prefects Fags, their school butlers for lack of a definition, said nothing in agreement or disagreement.

Gregory did not care either way if he was honest to himself; very few things ever got him out of his reverie. Though no matter what happened he would be dragged into it one way or another, whether it was to voice his opinion or offer advice he was now an accomplice in whatever Edgar had planned. He thought briefly about how Edgar had somehow become their leader, it was curious that the blonde and beautiful Edgar had assumed a leadership position. Then he thought no one else would have probably suited them. As long as he was left to his own devices after all was said and done he wouldn't offer any complaint. He did look up to eye Edgar, and the prefect looked quite happy with himself. At least it was an improvement over the other face he had been making when telling them the news, a face like he had bitten into a lemon.

Violet would have shrugged but it would have taken too much energy. He continued his sketch, his quick fingers outlining the scene around him, drawing the countenance of Edgar. In that moment he looked so smug that Gregory wanted to capture it. Less than an hour later he was done, in the meantime the others had droned on about things that were of no particular consequence, and no one had bothered to talk to him so he had remained silent. At last they all stood to leave and said their goodbyes, Gregory only gave a small nod at each of them; then he tucked the new drawing safely in his binder and walked back to his dorm and thought no more about the day.


	2. Chapter 2

The dawn had not yet come when Gregory opened his eyes. He lay in bed for a minute before finally pushing the covers away from his body and standing up. His bare feet hit the cold floor and he shivered involuntarily even as he stretched his arms up to the ceiling, waking the rest of his body up. He was clad only in a linen nightshirt that he pulled over his head and dropped on the floor, he stood for a moment completely naked relishing the silence of the morning. Since he was a prefect he had a room to himself and felt at ease with being nude. No one was going to see him nude as he made his way to his own private bathroom. It might be troublesome to be a prefect but it had a few perks, this room and his privacy being one of them.

When he stepped back out of the bathroom he was clean and as ready to start the day as he would ever be. He put on the school uniform and covered himself with the violet cloak, hiding himself away in it and covering half his face. He didn't even bother to look at himself in the mirror before he left the room, pausing only long enough to gather his sketchbooks. He attended to his prefect duties with a practiced ease, doing what was necessary but no more. He was certain that the majority of the students housed in his dorm could take care of themselves without him looking over their shoulder.

So when the morning classes and lunch were over it was with a degree of delight that he made his way to the gazebo to join the other prefects. Even surrounded by his peers he wouldn't be forced to speak much, and he could drink tea and work on his drawings in peace. However that seemed not to be, as he neared the gazebo he caught the light sound of polite laughter and talk. Gregory raised an eyebrow at the noise but still climbed the steps to see what the commotion was.

Edgar was seated next to a young woman dressed in the plain and conservative dress of a housemaid. He was chatting amicably with the young woman, but she had an air about her as if she were out of her element, perhaps she was not used to the attention she was receiving. Gregory did not make eye contact but sat in a chair opposite the girl and Edgar so he would not be disturbed. He noted vaguely that even Lawrence and Herman were chatting pleasantly with the girl. Gregory politely ignored them all and took out his sketchpad and charcoal and started to draw a landscape, looking out at the lawn for reference.

He was completely absorbed when Edgar finally spoke to him. "Gregory, stop being impolite and come and meet my dear cousin." Gregory looked up and saw the smiling face of Redmond, today he was all charm and politeness. The picture of a perfect English gentlemen; he was enjoying himself it seemed. Gregory sighed and stood up and moved closer to Edgar and the girl. He made eye contact briefly just so he would not seem overly rude, if he didn't do at least this much he would be chastised by the others later. So he took the opportunity to take stock of the girl. He had assumed that she would look almost exactly like Edgar, as all the members of Edgar's family looked very similar, secretly he suspected it was inbreeding. So he was slightly surprised when she didn't meet his assumptions.

Instead of blue eyes, like everyone else Edgars' family, she had very soft and gentle brown eyes. Her skin was not as naturally pale as Edgars and her hair, though blonde, was a few shades darker. She was slender in her uniform and she sat with her back straight betraying that she was at one time not of the servant class. She had high cheekbones like Edgar, and a slight rosy blush to her cheeks that made him wonder if she was wearing makeup or if it was natural. She smiled and nodded at Gregory, "A pleasure to meet you sir, my name is Josephine Redmond." He only nodded as acknowledgment, to the others she might seem perfectly polite, but in her eyes he saw a slight confusion; as if she was not sure why she was here at all.

Introductions done he went back to sit at his chair and continued to sketch. He looked up briefly to see Edgar gesturing to his cousins' hair which was arranged in a tight bun at the nape of her neck. "You should take your hair down Josie; I want to see what color it is in the light!" Apparently Edgar had wasted no time in giving her a new pet name. Her hands went to her hair and she looked like she was going to protest, but then she gave a small smile and started to take out the pins that held it in place and took it down. Once down he could see it was a rich blonde that caught the light and shimmered. It looked like honey that someone would put in their tea, and it was much longer than he would have thought. If the girl stood up it would probably reach down past her buttocks it was so long. He wondered how she got it up in the bun in the first place.

Edgar seized it and held it up to the light like a man holding up a piece of expensive cloth, showing it off to the others like a prize. The poor girl looked more uncertain than ever. "Ah, it is so soft and long! It's like a rich silk almost." Gregory watched as Edgar ran his fingers through the hair and let it fall back against her back. "You should wear it down or at least have it in a braid, my dear cousin." He smiled at Josie and the girl answered. "I can wear it in a braid if I want, but I can't have it down otherwise it would interfere with my chores, sir." She gently took her hair back and started to braid its long length, but Edgar stopped her. "Until then please leave it down, it's so pretty to look at." Josie blushed at the compliment and suddenly looked directly at Gregory, who hadn't realized he was staring at her. He looked back down and continued his sketch.

"Josie I am glad that I had invited you here today, you are simply delightful, it is a pity your father was disowned by the family," Edgar said casually with a wave of his hand. Josie blushed and looked away; no doubt her fathers' disownment was still a source of anguish, even if she hadn't even been alive when it had happened. "Tomorrow I would like you to come back; you shouldn't worry about your chores I will make sure you are excused from them while you are with us." If Josie had a problem with this she said nothing. In fact she probably couldn't say anything at all, Edgar was a nobleman and she was only a servant, she was required to obey his wishes.

Gregory felt a pang of guilt over the situation the girl was caught up in. She was in a tough place, and Edgar was far too pleased for some reason. Perhaps she had met his expectations or exceeded them. At least the girl was what most people would consider attractive, if she had been ugly then Edgar would have tossed her to the side and thought of something better to do with his time. So fortunately, or unfortunately for the girl, she was pretty and therefore a source of amusement to the P4. Gregory would not think on it anymore, whatever happened did not concern him anyway. He just focused on his art and let the others do what they will.


	3. Chapter 3

Gregory was sitting alone beside the gazebo, the area around him was calm and surprisingly devoid of students considering it was the weekend and many should have been out enjoying their temporary freedom. Violet was here because he did not have to be anywhere else. He was enjoying the solitude and since the few students around were not from his dorm he was left in somewhat complete isolation. The sketchpad was with him of course and he was idly drawing whatever came by his field of vision or suddenly sprang to mind. At the moment he was drawing a nearby tree, but instead of drawing the leaves he drew in hundreds of blood red roses, with petals raining down slowly from an invisible wind. It was quite lovely really and he allowed himself a small smile at his work. He looked up briefly as he heard footsteps approaching the gazebo. It was the girl, Josephine (or Josie as that was Edgar's pet name for her) approaching the tiny building.

He made no movement as she approached and he wondered briefly why she was even there on a Saturday. Then he saw she was carrying a large and heavy looking tray filled with drinks and some kind of cake. He just looked at her as she came closer with her burden. She did not see him as she walked up the gazebo stairs. Gregory heard the sound of the tray being set down and the sounds of the china plates as they rattled a little, followed by a relieved sigh from the girl as she did not have to carry something so heavy anymore. For a minute or two there was silence and he went back to his sketchpad, filling out the roses on his tree, then he looked up again as he heard footsteps come down the gazebo steps. Of course it was Josie, apparently she had gotten tired of waiting in the gazebo for everyone and chose to come and sit on the steps. It would be perhaps another fifteen minutes before the others would even arrive. He assumed she wanted to have things ready before the P4 meeting, which was probably a good idea since none of the other boys appreciated anyone being late to their invitations.

Josie sat on the steps and looked out at the courtyard and he saw a small smile on her face as she watched some of the other and younger boys carousing in the field. They saw her watching and waved at her, and she waved back at them. Even from this distance he could see the smile on the boys faces. Perhaps it was not only the other members of the P4 that were appreciating the presence of a young woman in their midst. Gregory didn't feel that he could care either way. She was just another person that Edgar had decided to play with, in the grand scheme of things his opinions on the girl wouldn't amount to much, unless of course someone wanted to hear them. He realized that he was staring at her rather intently. But then there was nothing else to look at. Maybe he should draw her into his picture, sitting under the tree with its rose leaves. He was turning back to his sketchpad when she suddenly looked over at him. She immediately recognized who he was and stood to give him a small curtsey. "I'm sorry sir; I did not see you sitting there in the shadows." Gregory made no move to acknowledge her but he did stand up, clutching his sketchbook in his hand. "Why are you apologizing? You wouldn't have looked here anyway so there's no need to apologize." She in return gave him an uncertain smile, as if she didn't know how to take his response. He didn't say anything back but climbed the stairs past her and walked into the gazebo. If he simply sat back down he might be seen as rude which he didn't want to seem. The girl hadn't done anything to annoy him yet so there was no reason to ignore her. Besides, it looked as if she had also brought tea and coffee along with the cake. And he realized that he was thirsty. He sat in a cushioned chair that was close to the tea and was about to pour some when Josie saw what he was attempting and rushed to do it for him. "Please sir, let me do it," she said quickly as she poured the tea into a china cup. He sat back and let her do it. There was no point in protesting if she was so determined to do it for him.

He leaned back in the chair with his legs drawn up around him and realized she was actually very close to him, close enough that he could smell a faint perfume lingering on her skin. Gregory could see her profile clearly as she leaned over to prepare the tea. It was a classic profile, not displeasing at all. Perhaps he would draw her sometime if he could catch her standing still long enough. But then again he could just draw her from memory. Josie finished pouring the tea and picked up the small cup filled with sugar cubes. "Any sugar with your tea, sir," she asked demurely. "I would like five sugars please," he answered. He always did have kind of a sweet tooth. She said nothing, as if five sugars in your tea were perfectly normal, and added the cubes before handing it to him. He took the tea and sipped, happily surprised to find it was a pleasant Earl Grey, even though he said nothing and simply went back to his sketchbook. He was concentrating on his work when he heard the rustle of her clothes as she sat down in a chair near him. "If I may ask, how long have you known my cousin Edgar?" Violet looked up and examined her. He had been secretly hoping she wouldn't try and start a conversation, it seemed like he was going to be forced to talk. "I have only known him since I started attending the school," he said slowly. She looked cautious all of a sudden, her eyes were curious though even as she sat calmly in her chair with her hands on her lap. "I've never met any members of my father's family before; they've never tried to contact us as long as I have been alive. Not even after my father died, so I have no idea what any of them are like." Violet slowly turned his head to the side as he thought, how should he describe Edgar to his new cousin? "Edgar is…a very animated and popular individual," and with that he turned back to drawing hoping that would be the end of her questions. She coughed politely to get his attention back and he gave a small imperceptible sigh, drawing in peace seemed to be too much to ask for until she was done asking her questions. "It's just that, since I have no prior experience with my fathers' family, I am unsure what my cousin Edgar would want with me. I didn't come to work here because I wanted to get close to Edgar; I am here because my Aunt on my mother's side is the chef for the school. She is the one who suggested I work here," she stopped speaking and looked a little embarrassed, perhaps she did not mean to say so much to someone she had just met. And who was also a friend to the man she was curious about. He wondered if she was afraid he would tell Edgar what she had said, of course he wouldn't though, but she had no way of knowing that beforehand.

He kept his eyes down as he thought carefully. In honesty he knew Edgar was only interested in the girl because she was something new, an oddity at the school and to him personally as she was a disowned family member. Perhaps Edgar would discard her eventually that might be the best outcome. Or maybe his motives were pure? Either way he could not give a definitive answer so he shook his head slowly. "I honestly do not know what his intentions are for you Ms. Josephine. Perhaps he is only curious about you?" She looked doubtful and turned away, then looked him in the eye again. "My father always said that if I ever had any contact with a Redmond I should be cautious and expect ulterior motives." Violet gave a ghost of a smile. It was actually pretty sound advice that her father had given her, and it probably had more truth than the girl realized.

She continued to look at him and it was becoming uncomfortable, he wanted her to look away. He never did like the intense scrutiny of others very much. She may have sensed that as she averted her eyes and looked down at her hands that were still folded in her lap. He breathed a sigh of relief and took a sip of tea. "Thank you for listening to me," she didn't look up as she said it, her eyes still on her hands. Gregory wished that she was looking at him that moment so he could just nod instead of answer. "You are welcome," he said quietly as he drank his tea. Only another minute passed for them in silence, for the others quickly arrived. He heard the excited voice of Edgar as he spied his cousin sitting on the chair. "Ah! Dear cousin Josie I was so looking forward to seeing you today," he sat down next to her and kissed her cheek in welcome. "Oh, and your beautiful hair is up in a bun again, I told you to let it down when you saw me next!" For the next minute Edgar busied himself with taking down Josie's hair and brushing it out with his fingers. Violet had to admit his behavior was unusual; at most he would treat women as if they were a slight nuisance even if he was polite to their face. There were many women who would probably love to be in Josie's place with Edgars' fingers in their hair, but the girl made no protest as he played with her golden locks. If she enjoyed the attention or disliked it she hid it well.

The others gathered around her as well. It was a fascinating sight actually. He watched as Herman carefully reached out and touched her hair, as if he was touching something delicate or precious. Violet watched his face; it seemed as if the boy had more than a passing interest in Josie. But then why not? She was not terrible to look at, and she might be the first girl he had interacted with in weeks. Perhaps he should warn Josie of Herman as he guessed he could surmise what his intentions might be. He shrugged and went back to his sketch pad, fleshing out the details of the tree. He passed that way in silence for a few minutes as the others talked amongst themselves. Josie was mostly quiet, only answering when spoken, and he sensed that she might be uncomfortable being the center of attention.

"Violet are you even listening to me?" He looked up as he heard his name called. He had not been listening in fact. He could see that Edgar was smiling at him with a smile that didn't reach his eyes at all. He had irritated him apparently, "I'm sorry Edgar I was absorbed in what I was doing. What were you saying?" Edgar took a piece of cake from the tray and leaned back in his chair taking small bites as he glared at him spitefully, he was taking his time with answering. Apparently that was Gregory's punishment for not hanging onto his every word, being forced to wait patiently while Edgar ate his cake.

Violet did not let it upset them in the slightest. He was used to the strange habits of the vain and spoiled Edgar Redmond. He finished his cake and sat the plate down and started talking again as if there had been no interruption. Edgar smiled and leaned forward again, "I was simply saying, dear Gregory, that you should take special care of Josie for me; she is currently the maid in Violet dormitory, surely you have seen her around?" Gregory was actually surprised. Usually the boys in the forms were forced to clean up after themselves as the founders thought it built character. However, there were usually one or two maids around to make certain the place remained spotless and pristine. He had not known that she had been assigned as the maid to his dorm. Edgar clapped his hands with a little too much enthusiasm as he watched the expression Gregory's' face. Violet felt nothing at all approaching enthusiasm. Whatever Redmond had planned for the girl it seemed like he would be dragged into it no matter what he wished.


	4. Chapter 4

It was after the P4 meeting had adjourned at the Gazebo that Edgar had begun to insist that Gregory escort Josie back to the dorms along with him. As the Violet House prefect trudged his way across the lawn with Josie walking a few steps behind him he remembered what Edgar had said clearly. "Really Gregory, it is a gentleman's duty to escort a lady back to her home, to ensure her safety you see." Redmond had dramatically clasped his cousins' hands as he said that, a look of supreme concern on his handsome face. The way he said it made it seem like Josephine was about to make a journey across Africa instead of traversing the lawn to the dormitory. Of course Redmond could be dramatic when he wanted to be, and for now it served his advantage to be melodramatic as he held onto Josephine and looked imploringly at the Violet House prefect. If Gregory refused to escort the girl now he would seem as if he didn't care about her welfare. It would be rude at this point to refuse; he wouldn't seem like a proper English gentleman and he might be reprimanded by the others.

So now he walked with the girl in tow behind him following him like a shadow. She obviously knew the way to the dorm as she was its current maid, but for some reason she stayed out of sight behind him. He was fine with this, if she stayed out of sight then he wouldn't be forced to make small talk as they approached Violet house. Gregory walked up the stairs to the dorm; behind him he could hear the swish of her skirts and the tapping of her shoes as she walked up the stone steps. It was just a simple sound to remind him that she was still behind him. He kept his head down and covered by the heavy cowl, his sketchpad held protectively in his left hand. Once they reached the top of the stairs he went to the door and held it open so both of them could enter the house. She gave a small smile as thanks as he held the door open but he gave no acknowledgment in return. Holding the door open for a lady was simply what was expected of him.

Once in the lobby he started to make his way up the stairs to his own room, which was at the very top of the dormitory. Many people would probably consider it the attic, and it had been at one point, but had been refurbished to be the room for the prefects. Sometimes he felt like a crow in a nest starring down at everyone, it was a pleasant perch and he would only be happier if it had been in the basement. He heard a gentle cough behind him and he paused mid-step and turned to look at Josie, hoping she wasn't going to try to start a conversation with him now that they were alone together. She looked up at him, "my servant's quarters are down in the basement, if you need anything or if the other students need help that is where I usually am if I am not doing my chores." He just nodded at her. He couldn't think of any reason he would have to go find her personally. With that he turned and continued up the stairs, and he heard the rustle of her skirts as she descended to the basement.

When he finally made it to his room he let something very much like a sigh leave his throat as he collapsed on the bed. He took off his hood and simply lay there with his sketchbook beside him. Violet knew he couldn't lay there for long; he had more duties as a prefect to do before the evening wore one. Even on a weekend there was always something to oversee or do. It really was a bothersome job to have; he wondered if any of the other prefects felt this way about their duties? After staying prone for a few more minutes he turned over and flipped open his sketch pad to the drawing he had been working on the entire time at the gazebo. It was the tree with the roses for leaves, done in charcoal. It was a pretty picture; he had done a good job but then then was his one true artistic ability so why shouldn't it be good? But it still needed to have some fleshing out now as it was still looking too barren. He busied himself drawing in shrubbery and the details were added to the trunk so you could see the texture of the bark. Somehow the profile of Josephine popped into his head and thought about adding her to the picture somehow, but he shook his head and dismissed the idea.

After a few minutes he set the drawing aside, nowhere near satisfied with what it was. Usually he could finish entire paintings or sketches with a supernatural speed. Today this sketch was giving him too much trouble and he had too many ideas racing through his head. If he kept at it now he would ruin it so it was best just to come back to it later when his mind was clear. So he sat at the foot of the bed with his legs pulled up to his chin and he stared out the window thinking of nothing in particular. The sky outside was starting to cloud over and a light grey light started to cover the landscape. Then it started to rain and the drops hit the window in a tiny staccato beat that he found captivating. This was actually the kind of weather that he preferred over all others. He would like it to rain all the time if he had control over such things. But with the weather how it was in England it was usually raining and overcast somewhere. So of all the counties in the world this is probably where Gregory would have felt most at home anyway. He watched the rain fall contentedly even as it got darker and the rain hit the glass more insistently. It looked like a storm was starting to gather strength even as he sat there on the bed. Outside the wind howled and the force of it was bending the trees and stripping them of their leaves. So for a moment in the fading light it looked as if everything was going green as the leaves swirled in amongst the rain and wind. Still Gregory watched the scene outside, fascinated by the severity and abruptness of the weather change. He grabbed his sketch book and began to draw what he saw. Then the lighting and thunder started to crash outside and he added in streaks of light to the paper. It was like nature was creating her own art, painting on a canvas the same as he was doing with his pages.

Suddenly there was a knock on his door and he sighed as he set the pad down and pushed himself off the bed and went to answer the door. It was Cheslock, but then he shouldn't be surprised at that. If anyone was going to knock on his door it would be him. He looked up at him and suddenly wished that he still had his hood and cowl on. He felt far too exposed without his usual thick coverings. He looked down at the floor as he finally addressed Cheslock, "What is it?" Cheslock spread his hands in a placating gesture, "it's just that the storm, they say it's going to be a bad one and everyone is gathering in the center of the dorm for safety." Gregory sighed and looked up at Cheslock with a tortured expression. He would have much preferred to have spent the time in his room with his sketch pad enjoying the violence of the storm. But if everyone was gathering in the main lobby then he would be forced to join as well, because as the head of the Violet House he had no other choice. He said nothing else but nodded at Cheslock, and then he went to retrieve his cloak from the bed where he had tossed it and quickly put it on and pulled down the cowl so his face was covered like normal. He turned back and was about to say something to Cheslock, but then there was a loud crashing of glass from somewhere downstairs followed by the panicked screams of the dorms youngest students.


	5. Chapter 5

Gregory came down the stairs as fast as he could when he heard the loud crash followed by the screaming of the younger students from somewhere on the main floor of the dormitory. In most circumstances he would never run or hurry for anything, but this was an emergency and he didn't have time to waste. His cloak was billowing behind him and he was lucky that he didn't trip over it and fall, especially with Cheslock following so closely behind him. He quickly tried to think of where all the windows were located in the main floor of the dorm. There were several large picture windows scattered throughout the dorm and most of them were on the main floor, it must have been one of them that had caused the loud crashing noise he had just heard. Gregory bit his lip in trepidation, falling glass from one of those windows could seriously hurt someone. He didn't want to think of the kind of lacerations that could result from the glass, what if someone was seriously injured? He certainly didn't know any first aid and he was not sure if any of the other students knew any either.

He finally reached the front lobby and looked around and turned to Cheslock, "I think the sound came from somewhere over here," and darted off down the hallway where he thought the noise originated. His hunch was proved right as he saw students running away from that direction, a few of them crying and hanging onto their friends, but luckily so far no one seemed to be hurt that he could see. Violet ran into the next room and staggered into the main study area, it was normally filled with students gathered around the many tables and chairs that dotted the room, but now it was almost empty except for a few students who looked like they might have been hurt from falling glass. Violet looked over at the end of the room where normally a large and ornate stained glass window would be, but it was completely obliterated from a large oak tree that had been uprooted in the storm and was almost completely inside the study room. The force of the tree crashing through the window had overturned desks and bookshelves but it didn't seem to have landed on any of the students, he gave a small sigh of relief for that but his heart sank as he surveyed perhaps half a dozen young students who had been cut by the falling glass. Most were crying and a few seemed stunned, and there was a familiar person among them that he only recognized because of her long blonde hair. It was Josie, and she had one student holding on to her side as she struggled to help another to his feet. He was crying and holding onto a deep gash on his arm, even from a distance he could hear her say something soothing even though he couldn't hear the words as she carefully took the arm and bound it tightly with some linen she pulled from her pocket. The young boy was still crying but whatever she was saying to him seemed to have helped, and he stood up and wrapped his arms around her for comfort. She patted his back reassuringly and started to move to next boy she was closest too, a teenager with a small cut on his cheek who looked more stunned than hurt and was sitting there on the ground surveying everything with a dazed expression.

Violet gave Josie one last look and started to pull students up off the ground. He went to the nearest student who looked to be about his own age and hauled him to his feet, "are you hurt at all?" Violet asked the student, but the teenager only shook his head at him with eyes filled with panic, apparently he was too stunned to talk. He looked him over quickly to check for any injuries and pointed him to the door and safety. Once he saw that the teen was past the doors of the study room did he move to the next boy. Between himself, Josie, and Cheslock, the last students that remained in the study were taken out of the room and into the hallway where it was safer and away from the rain that was coming in through the broken picture window. Josie was the last one out, holding onto the two boys who clung to her like leeches, and holding the hand of the teenage boy who was stunned but otherwise unharmed. Gregory moved quickly, and with the help of Cheslock, closed the doors behind them and the howling of the wind grew muffled as it was sealed behind the heavy oak. They had no way to block off the broken window until the storm was cleared so until then making sure no one ventured into the study was the best they could do. He tried not to think of how much damage would be done to the study, everything inside would be ruined and have to be replaced, but at least no one had died or been seriously injured.

Now that the sound of the storm was muffled he went back to look over the students. Out of the six that had still been inside the study three of them were unharmed and he sent them on their way with strict instructions to return to their rooms. The other three needed some bandages, which they didn't have, and were the most severely injured. The boy with the cut on his cheek sat against the wall and was still in shock. Josie had wrapped her coat around him to keep him warm and under the circumstances that was the best that they could do for the time being. One of the boys that still clung to Josie had some nasty cuts on his back and the other had the gash on his arm that was the most worrying, it was still leaking blood and it fell in small droplets onto the floor. The poor boys eyes were welling up with tears again and he was biting his lip, probably in an effort to stay brave in front of so many people. Josie patted the boys back reassuringly, "you're being very brace right now, your parents will be proud of you." The boy looked up at her with gratitude, and wiped away the tears before they could fall and did his best to appear stoic. A small smile tugged at the corners of Violets mouth at the youths attempt to be brave in front of the lady. Gregory knelt down and carefully examined the arm, but there was nothing he could really do at this point. The bandage that Josie had made out of the linen was better than anything he could have done anyway. The only thing left to do was get the boys some actual first aid.

There was a loud knock on the front doors and they were pushed open without even waiting for someone to answer them as formality would normally demand, but seeing as this was an emergency this breach in etiquette could be overlooked. Instantly; perhaps a dozen or more people streamed inside, including the school doctor and nurse; and the other prefects along with other adults that he couldn't even name. They all rushed to the side of Gregory and the injured students, he stepped away so the doctor and nurse could tend to the wounded. However, the two boys that Josie had helped refused to leave her side and held her hand protectively. She smiled down at them and stayed with them as they were bandaged and eventually led off to the infirmary where is seemed they would need to spend the night. Josie watched them leave and gave a small wave as they left and the two boys waved back. Behind them the other adults looked inside the destroyed study and came to the same conclusion that he had, that nothing could be done until the storm had passed.

Violet went to stand next to Herman and Lawrence; Edgar had immediately rushed over and taken Josie in his arms protectively as soon as he spotted the poor girl. "My dear cousin! You have not been harmed at all have you?" He held the girls cheeks in his hands and gave her a chaste kiss on the nose, Josie blushed and looked embarrassed, apparently she was still not used to this kind of attention. Violet smiled even though it probably wasn't polite to grin at someone else's embarrassment. He hoped Edgar wouldn't try to kiss him too, but for now Redmond acted as if he hadn't even seen Gregory and he was just fine with the lack of attention from the male Redmond. All of the Red House prefects' attention was focused on Josephine anyway.

Herman clasped Gregory on the back un-expectantly and he had to repress a gasp at the sudden contact. He was not accustomed to being touched by anyone; even his own family members rarely touched him, even though he knew Herman meant no harm. "And how are you holding up Violet? It looks like you took care of things even before we got here; we are all lucky that no more students were hit by glass or even killed!" Gregory pulled his hood back over his face before answering, "It was only a minor emergency, and I don't see what all the big fuss is about." Herman laughed at his nonchalance and Lawrence merely raised an eyebrow at him as if he was unconvinced at his statement. Beneath his hood he shrugged at looked back over at Edgar and Josie, who was leading her off down the hall and out the front doors. "I insist on taking you to the infirmary to at least make sure you are not injured in any way. Are you certain that you do not feel faint? I know that in some emergencies young ladies tend to feel dizzy at some point," Edgar said with great poise and knowledge, as if he knew everything there was to know about women. Even from a distance his voice sounded insufferable. However, Josie did not protest and was slowly being led out the doors, she looked back over her shoulder with an apologetic look at Gregory, and then she was gone. He kept looking out the doors after her even though he couldn't see her anymore, and he didn't understand why he suddenly felt so lonely.


	6. Chapter 6

The next day Gregory was exhausted when he stumbled out of bed and made his way to the private bathroom. He had stayed up to the wee hours of the morning waiting for the storm to pass them by. Even though the doors to the main study room had been closed, water from the rain had started seeping through from under the doors and ruining the hallway rug. So in a mad dash to save the rest of the dorm from further damage he, and other adults and volunteers from the dorm, quickly rolled up the rug and soaked up as much water they could that leaked into the hall with some old towels. But since there was no place to put the towels once they were wet or even ring them out, they had simply tossed them outside until the storm passed. It had been after midnight before the wind and rain ceased, and by that time he and everyone else was too tired to move. He had sent everyone to bed with the instructions that they would begin the cleanup in the morning.

Of course, now that the faint rays of dawn were beginning to be seen over the horizon he was regretting his decision. Outside everything looked crisp and fresh and clean, the only evidence of the storm was several uprooted trees that hadn't been seen during the night. Everything looked as if it were going to be a lovely day. Still, he forced himself into the bathroom room for a very quick shower. He didn't even have to undress himself which saved time. After last night he had simply stripped naked and landed on the bed, barely covering himself with a blanket to stay warm. He had slept very soundly which was a blessing for his poor worn out body. But the sound sleep did nothing to help his aching muscles; he was not used to so much physical activity.

Once done with the shower he hurried to get dressed and pulled a clean cloak over himself before he left his room. He had briefly looked himself over in the mirror and saw that dark circles were under his eyes from his exhaustion, but otherwise he looked no different from any other day. The realization that his normal face always looked sleep deprived brought a small smile to his face. He did have a strange sense of humor after all. Once he started going down the stairs he heard the doors to the dormitory being pushed open and the sounds of many feet and the murmuring of voices followed the footsteps. He reached the lobby very quickly and stared wide eyed at the people pouring into the Violet House.

They were all adults and all of them men and from the look of them they were laborers of some kind. They all looked determined, and many were carrying tool boxes with them while others were slowly coming in carrying lengths of wood. Mentally Gregory kicked himself, of course they would send people to help restore the house, it was a prestigious school and they would not sit idly by while one of the student dorms was badly damaged. Behind the men came the other members of the P4, Edgar, Lawrence, and Herman. He nodded in greeting and met them at the entrance to the house, moving aside so still more men could make their way inside. He glanced at all these people uneasily, so many people he did not know coming into the dorm was making him wary, even if they all had the best of intentions.

Herman suddenly clapped him on the back and he jumped involuntarily from the contact. "So how are you holding up then, Gregory? Quite a fiasco last night wasn't it?" Herman asked as he walked further in and sat on the staircase. Violet only nodded from under his cowl. "It was all too troublesome; I'm worried that the main study area will be completely ruined." Edgar then walked over the staircase and dramatically posed against it, it seemed that in the young man's mind he was always the star in his own play. Not that Gregory faulted him for it, he was certain that if he was as rich and attractive as Edgar he might act he same way. Thankfully that was not the case. Edgar sighed and looked to the end of the hallway where the study room had been. "It's such a dreadful thing to have happened Gregory, all that commotion and destruction because of one single storm! At least no one was seriously injured from it, so thank heaven for small blessings?"

Violet merely shrugged while not looking at anything in particular. He didn't like being the center of attention for any extended amount of time; it was a wonder that he was ever made a prefect anyway. Lawrence scowled and pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose as he watched the workers still filtering in. "I hope these men know what they're doing. There certainly are a lot of them for one broken window, don't you think?" Violet looked up at him and shook his head. "It's not just the window that was destroyed; the whole room is probably going to need to be gutted. The wood will be all warped from the rain and even all the books will need to be replaced." He felt a sinking feeling in his chest from the thought of the damage. At least everything could be replaced, and the school was certainly not short on money so it wasn't an issue of monetary value. It was just the sheer nuisance of it that bothered him, that and the fact that he would have to deal with people coming in and out of the dorm until everything was completed. It could take weeks to get everything done or perhaps even longer. The thought was enough to make his shudder, and he pulled his cloak tighter around him as if it could shield him.

Edgar suddenly clapped his hands together and the sound made them all look at him expectantly. "Right then, seeing as how we will just be in the way here, what say we all go about getting some breakfast, eh? I for one am famished and could with the meal, Gregory I am sure you feel the same." He nodded at Edgar, and it was true, his stomach was desperate for food but he had been ignoring the growling in his stomach until now. Since there seemed to be nothing he could do now until the workers assessed the damage he might as well get something to eat, there would be plenty of time to deal with all the unpleasantness later. "I think that might be the best idea for now anyway," he said in agreement. And with that they all left Violet house and went in search of breakfast.


End file.
